Oil burner



June 20, 1950 M. E. PALSGROVE I 2,512,374

OIL BURNER Filed Feb. 11. 1946' INVENTOR. M L. Pa lsyrove /z% mm Patented June 20, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OIL BURNER Merlin E. Palsgrove, Columbus, Ohio Application February 11, 1 946, Serial No; 646,891

My invention relates to liquid fuel burners and more particularly to liquid fuel burners of the type embodying an open-mouth fuel vaporizer fount. Y

In the past, considerable difliculty with burners of this type has been encountered, due to insufficient combustion caused by mal-regulation of the air flow to the fount. This insuflicient combustion tends to cause the burner to smoke and thereby create an undesirable feature in such a burner.

It is an object of my invention to provide a liquid fuel burner incorporating means whereby complete combustion is maintained at all times.

It is another object of my invention to provide a liquid fuel burner wherein the air supply necessary to complete combustion is drawn past the fuel fount at high velocities caused by a restriction between the fount and the flue of the burner For a further and more complete understanding of my invention, reference is made to the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of my improved liquid fuel burner incorporating a fuel fount connected with a mechanism for regulating the flow of fuel to the burner at a constant level;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view disclosing the burner element of Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral designates a substantially rectangular frame formed with an upper horizontal wall Illa, and

provided along its side walls with attaching introduced internally of the case. As shown, the side and top walls of the combustion case define withlthe horizontal wall of the frame 10 a substantially enclosed chamber 2l. The top wall I8 of the case is formed centrally with a flame ori- V fice or port 28, and carried upon the upper sur- 2Claims. (Cl.15891) 2 face of the top wall I8 is a vertically and upwardly extending flue 22 which is disposed in longitudinal alignment with the flame orifice 20.

Exteriorly, the combustion case is provided with a substantially frusto-conical upwardly tapered "draft shield 23 whose lower portion extends below the perforate area of the side walls It of the casing, and which defines with such side walls a plurality of upwardly tapered air intake passages which communicate with the perforations formed in each of the side walls.

Carried by, and extending through the horizontal wall of the frame I0 is a vertically arranged open-mouth fuel vaporizer fount 30 which has its open mouth terminating in vertically spaced relation, and in longitudinal axial alignment with the flame orifice 20. The fount 3|) is provided at its lower end with a fuel supply conduit 31' which extends horizontally through the frame [0 and througha slot Ilia formed in the combustion case. 7

In the operation of the present fuel burner, at-

lower portion of one of the side walls It of the mospheric air is supplied internally of the combustion case by way of the'upwardly tapered passages defined by the side walls of the case and thence through the perforations or openings IS. The natural flow of atmospheric a'ir'is created by drawing action of the flue 22, which causes the atmospheric air to be drawn upwardly past the upper end of the fount 30 and through the relatively restricted flame orifice 20. The spacing between the open mouth of the fount 30 and the flame orifice '20 more or less determines the velocity of atmospheric air passing through the flame orifice, and due to the restricted nature of such space, in relation to the size of the flue 22 andthe size of the tapered intake passages provided by the shield 23, a relatively high velocity may bemaintained across the top of the fount causing thefuel within the fount to burn both within the upper portion of the combustion case and the lower portion of the flue 22. The relatively high velocity provided by such restrictions further assures complete combustion of the fuel which passes into the lower end of the flue 22.

, ,Inithepresent burner, the height of the flame orifice the top wall of the combustion case above the fuel fount may be varied by set screws attached to the lower ends of the side walls It by horizontally extending threaded members 33. The lower ends of the set screws rest against a platform base 34, and when the screws are rotated, the combustion case is moved vertically with respect to the fuel fount.

The outer end of the conduit 3| is connected with a mechanism for regulating the flow and maintaining a constant level of fuel within the fount 38. This mechanism comprises a main tank 35 having a downwardly extending sump 36, a filler tube 3i extending internally of the tank and having its upper end open substantially above the top portion of the main tank, and having its lower end extending into the sump 36. An auxiliary tank 38 communicates with the main tank by means of a pipe 39 having its upper end located in the bottom of the main tank, and its lower end extending substantially within the auxiliary tank. Each of the tanks are supplied with conduits ill having a 2-way valve 4| interposed therebetween, said conduits serving as air vents for the tanks. In normal operation, the two-way valve M is positioned so that air is vented from the auxiliary tank 38 and trapped or shut off from the main tank 35.

Fuel within the main tank will flow through the pipe 39 .into the auxiliary tank as long as the fuel level within the auxiliary tank is below the lower end of the pipe 39. This flow is permitted by the fact that air is taken from the space above the fuel within the auxiliary tank 38 to relieve the vacuum within the top of the main tank 35. The flow of fuel will be maintained until the level of the fuel in the auxiliary tank covers the bot-. tom of the pipe 39 and thereby shuts off any air supply to the main tank. As the fuel is consumed by combustion within the fount 30, the level of the fuel within the auxiliary tank will drop, thereby opening the end of the pipe 39 and permitting the passage of air again to the main tank 35. It will therefore be seen that a constant level of fuel is maintained within the auxiliary tank and the connected fount.

The lower end of the filler tube 31 is positioned-:-

within the sump 38 so that its bottom end is substantially below the bottom end of the pipe 39. The purpose of this relation is to prevent any air being drawn into the main tank 35 through the open upper end of the filler tube 31 which is:

exposed to atmospheric air. Therefore, it is not necessary for the upper end of the filler tube to be supplied with an air-tight cap.

When it is desired to replenish the supply of fuel within the main tank 35, the two-Way valve ll is positioned so that the air is trapped within the auxiliary tank and vented through the main tank. Fuel is then poured into the filler tube 31 and readily rises within the main tank to a desired level. The conduit 3|, connecting the-auxiliary tank and the fuel fount, is supplied with a shut-ofi valve 42 which is closed during a filling operation so that the burner may not be flooded by the incoming fuel. After the re-filling of the main tank, the two-way valve .41 is turned to its operating position and the shut-off valve 42 is opened so that the aforementioned constant level of fuel flow may be maintained to the fount.

As shown in the drawing, my improved burner is used in conjunction with a hot water heater, and. a water jacket 43 is incorporated within the heater mechanism around the flue 22. The water jacket is supplied with an inlet conduit 44 which communicates with the lower end of the water jacket, and an outlet conduit 45 located substantially at the top of the water jacket; thereby pro- 4 viding for the circulation of hot water upward within the jacket and out of the conduit 45.

In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention provides an improved liquid fuel fountain type burner which is characterized by its eflicient action in accomplishing the complete burning or combustion of fuel introduced thereto, and its ready adjustability and ease of operation in maintaining an adjustment necessary to insure such complete combustion. Burners formed in accordance with the present invention may advantageously be employed as space heaters as well as liquid heaters, as outlined in the accompanying drawing. By nature of the adj ustability of the present burner, the same is adapted to use various types of liquid fuels,

4 such as kerosene, fuel oil, or gasoline.

While I have disclosed what I now deem to be a preferred form of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes and varied adaptations may be later accomplished without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a liquid fuel burner; a base; a substantially horizontal wall carried in vertically spaced I relation to saidbase; an open-bottom combustion case mounted on said base around said horizontal wall for movement in a substantially vermticalplane; said case comprising perforate side :walls disposed in closefitting sliding engagement 1 with the edges of said horizontal wall and a top wall formed with a centrally disposed flame orifice and disposed in vertically spaced relation to 4 said horizontal wall; a vertically arranged openmouth fuel-vaporizing fount extending through said horizontal. wall and within said case and having the open-mouth thereof arranged below and in vertically spaced relation to the flame orifice formed in the top wall of said case; a vertically arranged flue extending upwardly from the top wall of said case in longitudinal alignment with the flame orifice; an upwardly tapered shield carried by the side Walls of said case and defining therewith a plurality of upwardly tapered air intake passages communicating with the perforations formed in the side walls of said case; and means carried by said case and engageable with said base for adjusting said case vertically thereon, whereby to vary the spacing between the open mouth of said fount and the flame orifice formed in the top wall of said case.

2. In a liquid fuel burner; a stationary base having a vertically offset horizontal wall thereon; an open bottom case extending over the horizontal wall of said base and mounted thereon for vertical sliding movement, said case comprising upstanding perforate side walls and a top wall formed with a single centrally disposed flame ori- 60' fice and disposed in vertically spaced parallel relation to said horizontal wall; the side and top walls of said case defining with the horizontal wall of said base a substantially enclosed chamber; a vertically arranged open-mouth fuel fount extending. through the horizontal wall of said base and within the chamber defined by said case, the open-mouth of said fount terminating below and in vertical alignment with the flame orifice formed in the top wall of said case; a flue pipe extending upwardly from the top wall of said case in surrounding relation to the flame orifice formed therein; means on said case defining with the :perforate side walls thereof a plurality of externalupwardly tapered air intake passages; and

means carried by said case and engageable with said base for adjusting the spacing between the top wall of said case and the horizontal wall of said base.

MERLIN E. PALSGROVE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 150,824 Buzby May 12, 1874 219,685 Burbank Sept. 16, 1879 553,993 Land Feb. 4, 1896 576,641 Weston Feb. 9, 1897 607,136 Rosenstar July 12, 1898 1,176,172 Schleusselburg Mar. 21, 1916 1,200,613 I-Ionn Oct. 10, 1916 Number Number 

